Regent House of Flowers

We would like to big up Regent House of Flowers who are based in Wrexham this week! They are a well known local wedding and occasion florist whose work we have seen on numerous occasions.

So, if you are planning on getting married in or around the Wrexham area - be sure to give Laura a call on 01978 263003 to discuss your wedding requirements.

Laura will be exhibiting at local wedding fairs to so why not kill a few birds with one stone and pop along to The Cross Lanes Bridal fayre which takes place at The Cross Lanes Hotel, Marchwiel, Wrexham on Sunday 20th of February 2011.

In the meantime - here are some images to whet your appetite!

Make your Marquee Standout with Marquee Art

Wow! That's exactly what I said when I received some literature from MarqueeArt a company who have designed huge canvases that can be attached to marquee walls to make a marquee look totally different to how you would expect it to look.

These marquee canvas walls are available to buy or to hire and the company offers a bespoke service as well as a having 'off the shelf' designs.

The standard panels measure 1.5m wide by 2.2m high though they can be made to whatever dimension you require.

The company suggests you go with them in blocks of 3 and the prices start from £150 per panel to hire a stock panel £350 per panel to buy.

For more information visit www.marqueeart.co.uk

Love Letters

If you are looking for a gift with a difference to give to your other half on your wedding day, or perhaps valentines day then we have just the thing!

These wonderful unique pictures are made using vintage scrabble tiles to make up messages which are then mounted in a handmade frame.

You can create your own or phrase or purchase one of their pre-designed pictures which can then be personalised with your names and the date of your wedding or the special occasion you are celebrating.

For more information visit www.copperdot.co.uk

Will the Royal Wedding hail an increase in weddings?

The Office for National Statistics published figures in February 2010 which showed that the number of marriages taking place had fallen to its lowest in England and Wales since records began in 1862.

We for one are waiting with baited breath to see whether there has been a rise in weddings when the Office for National Statistics publishes further figures this year.

The wedding of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton takes place on April 29th 2010 and maybe this has encouraged a few more romantic proposals this Christmas! Some are even describing 2010 as "The Year of the Wedding"!

We will just have to wait and see!

Happy Planning ♥

Financial Wedded Bliss

When a couple get married there are a number of factors they will explore together for the first time and one of those is money management.

Money and relationships can sometimes be a tricky course to navigate and really needs to be properly discussed before the big day to avoid any nasty surprises.

Remember as well that your work/career situations may not always be as they are now so think ahead and think about scenarios that could possibly arise in the future and how you might deal with those. These could include having children, starting a business or one partner losing their job.

So, with that in mind, we have found a fabulous website designed to help you. SavvyWoman.co.uk is the brainchild of Sarah Pennells. Sarah is a renowned personal finance journalist and broadcaster who has appeared regularly on TV and writes for a number of magazines including She, Marie Claire, Ideal Home and others.

Sarah is also a published writer and has written a book specifically to help couples to avoid arguing about money and make better financial decisions. The book is aptly titled 'Financial Bliss: How to grow wealthy together' and is available from Amazon.

Happy Planning ♥

An Invitation they will never forget!

If like many brides and grooms you are looking for new and unique way to invite your guests to your wedding, a wedding invitation with the wedding wow factor, then we think we may have found it for you.

Not only are these invitations unique and pretty but they are environmentally friendly too!

The idea is the brain child of Karen Brown who was looking for something special for their wedding invitations and so came up with the idea of a Wedding Tea Towel as a wedding invitation.

You have the choice of a bespoke design service which would enable you to create something totally unique to you and your other half , or choose from a range of designs. You can can edit the words and colour to co-ordinate your invitation with your wedding colour scheme. You can even have your very own "Royal Wedding" tea towel invitation as seen here!

With prices from £2.75 each - they are not only fabulous and unique but they are also cost effective and will not end up in the card recycle bin once your wedding day has passed!

Your guests are certainly not going to forget to RSVP easily either!

For more information and to see more of the designs available visit www.weddingteatowels.co.uk or call Karen Brown on 07739 034331 or you can email karen@weddingteatowels.co.uk.

Happy Planning ♥

BBC3 - Need YOU!

BBC3 Pilot Looking for Engaged Couples to Test Drive Their Marriage

Have you ever wondered how people view you as a couple? Would you like the chance to delve into somebody else’s engagement and see what they’re planning for their big day, and their future lives together?

So much focus goes into the wedding day that sometimes the big questions get buried beneath the flower arrangements and seating plans. We are looking for young couples who are interested in taking a voyage of discovery with their partner before the big day - an experience designed to give their marriage a better chance of lasting the course.

You need to have your wedding plans underway and be willing to explore your relationship with your partner. You will need to be open with one another about what you want from your life together – your strengths and weaknesses as a couple. You will also be interested in finding out more about what makes people’s relationships tick.

If you’re interested in taking part or just want to find out more in a confidential chat, then please email Sarah at sarah.pickering@lovewest.co.uk or call 0117 906 4350.

Personalise Your Wedding Cake

Mrs2Be.com is delighted to feature the fabulous work of Jane Finnerty of CakeFigures.com.

If you want to personalise your wedding cake then these gorgeous handmade cake toppers are a great way to do it.

Jane Finnerty of CakeFigures.com is a professional artist and confectioner who designs and makes the most stunning cake toppers for couples to their own design and requirements.

You can inject a little bit of your personalities and touches that reflect your lives by adding props for example. Jane has designed and made many different cake toppers that reflect the lives of her clients such as the example here which was created for a couple where the Groom was a rugby fanatic.

For more information on Jane's work and to read testimonials from satisfied customers visit www.CakeFigures.com

Add a Dash of Colour!

If you want to inject a bit of colour into your wedding outfit, but you still want to go for the traditional white/ivory dress, why not do so by wearing a pair of coloured wedding shoes! Let's face it, where does it say they have to be white/ivory?

A woman's shoes say a lot about her - let's face it - we spend enough money on them and it is one of those items you can never have too many of!

There are so many beautiful shoes to choose from in an array of pretty colours that it should be easy to find a pair that will co-ordinate with the rest of your wedding scheme colours. Try to tie them into the colour of your bouquet ribbon or the flowers in your bouquet. Even if you cannot find the exact colour - there are a companies who can dye your wedding shoes to your colour choice.

Remember the golden rules when it comes to your wedding shoes:

1. Always try your wedding dress on with your chosen shoes before your final fitting.

2. Wear your shoes in around the house a few times before the big day - there is nothing worse than suffering with sore feet from new shoes.

Alternatively - you could wear a coloured petticoat under your wedding dress - these look so pretty, particularly if you are opting for a 3/4 length or shorter wedding dress! the splash of colour will be seen as you sashay down the aisle - very contemporary and bold!

A great example of a real life bride wearing a cerise pink petticoat can be seen here on the Rock My Wedding Website

Happy Planning ♥

Buttonholes - where do they originate from?

Buttonholes are one of those traditions that nearly every bridal party follows but none probably know why and where the idea originally came from!

So where did it come from? Well, I am reliably informed that it originates from ancient Greek times when the groomsmen wore little bouquets of flowers and herbs close to their hearts in a bid to ward off any evil spirits.

Then in medieval times, Knights of the realm romantically attached the colours of their beloved to their chest as a public display of their love - aaahhh!

And so to modern times; the men attach a single bud or a miniature bouquet of flowers which typically co-ordinates with the wedding colour scheme, to their lapel. The traditional choice is a single rose or carnation but these days couples are more adventurous in their choice of buttonhole and will often opt for something more exotic such as an Orchid or a Lily. The Groom typically wears something different to the rest of the groomsmen and the Father of the Groom.

Whilst the menfolk tend to keep it simple, the ladies' corsages will often be embelished and so more elaborate and ornate. The trick is to keep them light as attaching a heavy corsage or buttonhole is a nightmare particularly to sheer and delicate fabrics.

You are never going to be able to co-ordinate a corsage with every female member of the bridal party's outfit so try not to go overboard and take advice from your florist who should be well-versed in this.

And remember - a gentleman wears his buttonhole on the left, a lady wears her corsage on the right!

Added 07/01/11 - Click HERE for some inspiration for your buttonholes:

Happy New Year & Congratulations!

Firstly - Happy New Year! And we hope you have a happy & healthy 2011!

We know that there will have been a fair few proposals of marriage over the Christmas and New Year celebrations so we would also like to congratulate all you newly engaged Mrs2Be's!

Now the planning begins! But fear not - you are not alone - we have plenty of useful tools and articles to help you to plan what is probably the biggest event you will ever plan in your life.

The trick is to be organised and get others involved to help. Start early so that you give yourself the best possible chance of remaining calm and stress free!

Remember to take time out for yourselves as a couple as planning a wedding can be all consuming.

For more help and advice visit www.Mrs2Be.com.

Happy Planning! ♥